Treehouse of Wonders
by Parodius
Summary: Team Avatar's lost in the woods, with Aang and Katara off exploring on their own; leaving Sokka alone in the forest. Or is he really alone? Set during the episode "Jet", but doesn't follow it. SokkaXJet
1. Woodland Romance

Rated: T

_I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender._

[Comments and reviews are highly appreciated].

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Chapter 1: Woodland Romance**

"Seriously Katara…just admit it, we're lost," a young warrior pants while chopping loose branches out of his way with his knife. "and I am sick and tired of all these stupid trees!" Sokka continues to slice through as many tree limbs as he can find in his anti-nature rampage.

Turning around from her leading position, his sister stops walking and starts talking as level-headedly as possible, "calm down Sokka, we just have to find the right path."

"Yeah Sokka, lighten up," says a seemingly younger boy, the Avatar, as his pet lemur sits on his shoulder.

"Hmph," the watertribesman huffs while sheathing his knife due to a sudden clearing in the woodland.

Light streams in from the skies above as rays leak onto the forest floor, weaving in between the layers of leaves that cascade above. The entire scene smells of soil and moisture as evidence of a previous rainstorm remains on the barks of the trees and on the ground. Winding alongside the group is a calming river, which bends and turns around the trees ultimately blending in with the surrounding foliage. A strong gust of wind whips through the alley of oak trees, sending shivers and leaves alike across the skin of the three young kids.

"This place is beautiful," states Katara as she looks upward at the seemingly endless treetops. "These trees look like they go on for ever."

A sudden surge of updraft radiates from beside the young waterbender as Aang's entire body flies upward toward the lowest tree limb. Trailing under each of his leaps is a quick and precise gust of air propelling him higher and higher up the tall tree.

"Aang!" yells Katara, who's left rooted to the soil, "be careful!"

"Show off…" mutters Sokka as he kneels on the ground, examining a berry bush as a possible source of much needed food.

Vaulting from limb to limb, the airbender quickly makes his way upward towards the tallest branch, which provides an excellent vantage point of the entire forest. The blazing star hangs highest in the sky, leaving a blanket of heat trapped above the cover of foliage. Focusing his eyes further down the canopies, he spots something peculiar.

"Hey guys," Aang yells below as his voice cascades across the trunks of the trees, "you guys 'gotta come see this!"

Thinking to himself first then making his thoughts public knowledge, Sokka turns to his sister, "how does he expect us to get all the way up there?"

Before he can get a solid answer, Katara's out of view in a surge of water and uplift. Working like an elevator, water gushes from the nearby river upwards towards the young waterbending fueling her ascent towards the treetops.

_Great…looks like I'm on my own._

Taking his knife out of his waist holster, he readies it tightly in his right hand. Eyeing up the tree directly in front of him, he quickly jabs the blade into the trunk with a successful slicing sound. Wrapping his legs and free hand around the tree, he attempts to replant the blade higher up. Dislodging the blade proves easy at first, with Sokka moving steadily higher and higher up the oak tree.

Cockiness radiates over his face as a sense of overconfidence takes over his muscles. Attempting to jab the knife a little too far up makes him loose his footing on a smooth patch of bark, sending him spastically trying to gain his balance. No more than twenty feet above the ground, the watertribesman starts falling towards it. Not met with a sudden rush of pain as he previously envisioned, Sokka is instead left suspended in the air. Hovering above the ground in the presence of two strong arms, Sokka's own arms and legs relax with a sense of security.

_What the…_

"Next time you try and climb a tree," the mysteriously heroic voice starts off, "make sure you bring some rope."

The sun moves from behind a cloud and the wandering rays of light catch on fragments of the young boy's armor; letting the material glisten while showing its battle dents. A sudden smell of timber emerges from the boy's person, leaving Sokka's thoughts distractingly absent. A mess of jet-black hair rests on a smiling face as loose strands fall victim to the wind, they twirl helplessly in the elements.

"Uh…" Sokka's mouth refuses to work and instead of feasible words, produces a long stutter.

"The name's Jet," the young boy says cheerfully again, this time with a wider smile. "It seems like I came right in the knick of time too."

A small laugh escapes the watertribesman's throat as he responds feebly, "yeah."

Silence sweeps over the pair as no more words are spoken, causing the scene to be overtaken by the surrounding noises of nature. Each part of the whole interacting with one another, breathing as one—like multiple parts of the same organism.

"Hey," Jet jolts Sokka, with a twinge of sternness in his voice, "I can't carry you forever ya' know…"

Shaken into reality, Sokka's leg begins to move with energy as Jet props them upright on solid ground. Rubbing the back his neck, Sokka's eyes refuse to meet his makeshift rescuer.

Looking straight at Sokka, Jet plucks a single stem out of the ground and places it in his mouth. "So…" he starts off moving to lean against a nearby tree, "if you don't mind me asking, who might you be?"

Taking a few seconds to conjure his response Sokka's icy blue eyes finally meet the woodman's hazel colored ones, "It's Sokka."

"Sokka, huh, that doesn't sound like a usual name around these parts." Jet's eyebrows lift higher on his forehead as his mind turns.

"We're…" Sokka's right arm starts rubbing over his left one in a sense of anxiety, "travelers."

"Where 'ya headed?" the charismatic young boy says with cheeriness and curiosity. A little too much if you ask Sokka.

Wind gusts up scattered leaves over the forest floor and they flutter upwards in a semi-vortex of air.

"North." Hoping his short answers wouldn't tick off his helpful—and somewhat attractive—savior.

A sound of accordance leaves Jet's mouth as he straightens his posture and steps closer to Sokka. The air between them suddenly turns stagnant, due to Sokka's lungs requiring more oxygen to keep from going light headed.

"I actually should be getting back to my friends…" the watertribesman manages to squeak out due to the presence of Jet—no more than a few feet away.

Looking one way towards the river and then the other way towards the rows upon rows of trees, Jet says plainly, "I don't see anyone…"

"They actually went up," he pauses, his face turning a light shade of rose, "to the top of the tree, they said they saw something weird—hence why I was climbing the tree…"

Taking a minute to process this, Jet's eyes form into something filled with tactic and charm. Taking his gaze upward toward the tree Katara and Aang flew up no more than ten minutes prior—his eyes try focusing on something in particular. With his head weaving and bobbing like some sort of owl, his expression turns into discovery.

Crouching down, he suddenly flies upward with a powerful force of dexterity and muscle onto the lowest branch.

"Where are you going!" Sokka literally cries out putting his hand over his eyes successfully blocking out the blazing sun.

Answering the watertribesman's answer with action, Jet soon return with a long rope tied with a loop on the end. Landing with a soft thud of dirt, he settles his footing before extending his arm towards Sokka.

At first, Sokka's face returns an expression of puzzlement and interest—but not sure what the woodsman is exactly asking plagues his thoughts.

"You want to find your friends?" Jet asks with a small smirk, his mouth curving up on one side.

A quick nod settles that question, but still leaves Jet's hand floating midair.

_Can I really trust this guy…this, this kid? _ _I'll admit he did partially save my ass from a major bruising, but is he all that he claims he is?_

Throwing imaginary caution of the wind, Sokka's muscles force him closer and closer to the inviting boy—to a sense of insecurity he's not familiar to.

"But there's only one handle…" Sokka says examining the contraption more strictly.

The smirk Jet's sporting changes to accommodate a new emotion, something forcing even Sokka to be charmed by. Sweat pools on the watertribesman's skin, dampening his cheeks with moisture. Unwilling to wipe it away, his eyes stay captivated at the boy in front of him.

"You'll just have to hold on to me than," he practically whispers as his voice is stained with lust, "if that's okay with you…"

Since their initial departure up the tree his sister and the Avatar went up, the sun has begun to set behind the tallest spruce. Absence of light begins to set an eerie tone beyond the second row of foliage. The once dazzling array of leaves now lack their luster and sheen, falling victim to the approaching darkness. Danger moves into his head as something deep within his thoughts is screaming at him to move.

"Plus, this place starts getting creepy after dusk…" the boys words collide with Sokka's thoughts, assuring his next decision.

Steeping closer to Jet, Sokka's arm wraps around the woodman's waist while the other loops loosely under his arm—hand resting on Jet's shoulder. Breathing in the strong aroma of nature off the boy's exposed clothing Sokka's head rushes with pheromones.

"Hold on." Jet says lowly in Sokka's ear, sending shiver's down the latter's back.

Above the pair, the whir of mechanical machinery kicks into life and the rope tugs Jet's arm slightly. Gentle wind encircles the two, with Sokka's chest churning with something he's never felt before. Closing his eyes for the entire ride of up, Sokka's hands press deeper into the skin of Jet, making sure his grip doesn't fail him.

Moving his head on top of Sokka's, the woodsman whispers, "don't worry…I gotcha," His other hand wraps underneath the dangling legs of Sokka, bringing them up higher to his own body.

Heat radiates from the pair as the watertribesman's face is burning with intensity. New feelings emerge in the deepest corner's of Sokka's mind—ones that are both intriguing, inviting and uncertainly dangerous.

_Jet. Is this guy for real? Well…of course he's real…but what does he really want—what does he…_

Cutting off his thoughts sentence, Sokka feet make contact with boards of timber—laid down in the form of a makeshift platform. Straining his eyes to see the mess of houses and lanterns strewn about above the trees. Rope bridges, circling staircases, and zip lines crisscross between the seemingly rickety houses.

"What is this place?" Sokka asks still holding tightly to Jet, unwilling to let go off his body even though they've been on solid ground for quite some time.

"This?" Jet half-smiles while motioning towards the main bridge connecting this stray platform to the biggest hut, "this is home."

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**A/N:**

If I get enough positive reviews, I'll continue the story!


	2. Childhood Fantasies

Rated: T - M

_I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. _

[Comments and reviews are highly appreciated].

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Chapter 2: Childhood Fantasies**

Dim lanterns cast an eerie brightness on the bridge below, semi-lighting the way for the pair to awkwardly navigate across. The long gone sun has been replaced by a full moon—a lone circle in the star filled sky. Cooling breezes tease the taut rope ties keeping the bridge secure, swaying it in every direction. Sokka, still getting used to the unstable surface, staggers his footing rapidly from left to right trying to get a decent footing.

"Watch yourself, wouldn't want to fall from up here," Jet's hands makes contact with Sokka's waist, keeping his toned frame from vaulting the flimsy railing.

The watertribesman's gaze is attracted towards the ominous and pitch-black forest floor; his throat develops a knot, "hah…yeah."

With that, the woodsman releases his grip from Sokka's waist, leaving a lasting warm sensation in their wake. Taking the lead in front of Sokka, Jet quickens his footsteps motioning for the watertribesman to follow suit.

"C'mon slow poke," Jet teases, "I bet your friends are worried."

Finishing the trek over the wooden bridge, assorted huts and treehouses come into view as Sokka's eyes are puzzled on which way to turn. The whole scene is something out of a children's book: multi-story houses sitting on branches, complex rope bridges and spiral staircases connecting the tenements, and zip lines weaving in between natural alleyways like clotheslines.

"Woah," Sokka's mouth drops open as low mumbles drool out, "this is place is…"

"Awesome?" yells a seemingly childish boy zooming by one of the numerous zip lines.

"Who was…"

Jet slows his pace and lets a slow chuckle out, "that's The Duke, a Freedom Fighter."

A quick silence takes over Sokka's thoughts as he takes in this new knowledge.

Scratching his head with his arm, he closes one eyes and turns to Jet, "a what now?"

Simply laughing to himself Jet turns a full 180 degrees, coming within breathing range of the young warrior. The low light casts an orange layer of ambience onto Sokka's red soaked face, his complexion already damp in a layer of sweat.

"You know Sokka," Jet says inching even closer to the watertribesman, gripping Sokka's forearm applying a lustful pressure, "you're kinda cute when you don't know anything."

Taken aback by the woodsman's comment, Sokka's eyes take on something resembling desire—all emotions pointing towards this semi-mysterious boy. Literally taken aback, the watertribesman's legs run themselves into a corner against a tree side, trying to escape what his heart is telling him. Churning his thoughts inside his head, Sokka can't help but come up empty for any justification for his sudden spur of embarrassment.

"Uh…" Sokka's once again lack for words puts him into an awkward stutter. "Jet, I—"

Jet chuckles softly, "Nevermind Sokka, I'll tell you more later."

Pulling back the cloth that hangs as a makeshift doorway, light shines from the entryway—landing on Sokka's exhausted face.

"Sokka!" Katara shouts standing up from her seated position next to a slow smoldering fire. She warps her arms around her brother in a loving embrace, leaving no chance of escape for the watertribesman.

"Where did you run off to?" she asks releasing her grip from Sokka, "we looked for you everywhere."

"Well…what do you except, you guys seem to forget I can't magically climb tress in a matter of seconds," he semi-jokes to his sister, looking beyond her to the empty space behind. "Speaking of guys, where's Aang?"

"He left a little while ago with some of the other guys, probably looking around this place," she pauses as her stare goes into something similar to uncertainty; her thoughts trikling with questions on how her brother managed to find this place.

"So I'll take it that you talked to…" Sokka's sentence gets slashed as the cloth is drawn back to reveal a warrior in ragtag armor.

"Jet!" the young girl exclaims running paste her brother to the presence of the warrior, wrapping her arms around Jet.

Turning himself around as well, Sokka's icy blue eyes make contact with Jet's body—holding them captive in their torment. Everything about his person makes the watertribesman's heart scream out in new ways, dangerous, yet curious ways.

Raising his eyes off the gaze of the young girl, they lock lustfully with the watertribesman, silently pleading his name with the intensity of a hurricane.

"H-hey Jet," he semi-stutters while almost talking under his breath, keeping his eyes stared straight ahead.

Releasing her grip from Jet she stands to his right, with a blushed over face, "Sokka this is…"

"I know who he is," returns her brother with stiffness poisoning his throat. Managing to swallow a lump in his throat at the same time he clenches his fists quickly, yet ultimately relaxing his muscles at the sound of Jet's voice.

"We've already met, a few hours ago actually," his body turns towards Katara whose eyes have changed into something sadistic.

"Oh…" is all she says as she looks below at the floor panels that line the entire room from wall to wall, "alright then…"

The sole window in the cramped room lets in a strong wind that blows past the three teenagers, making their hair rustle and dance in the late autumn breeze. Jet's hazel eyes stand out in the low light, unable to blend in with the surrounding scenery—practically refusing to. Making their presence known in Sokka's vision, it's something he can't forget.

Sokka's will power fails him as he finally blinks the sight away and starts looking around for his backpack, scavenging through blankets and stray planks of wood.

Breaking the silence the warrior places his hand on Katara's shouldering in a friendly manner while whispering in her ear, "hey, why don't you give your brother a chance to settle in—he's had a long day."

"A-alright," the young girl says as she lifts the cloth and heads out to the rest of the community.

Sensing a sudden absence of a third person the room suddenly feels claustrophobic, making Sokka's throat tighten.

"So," a voice calls out from the doorway, Jet's deep voice, "you finally found your friends."

Refusing to look up from his desperate search, Sokka stays bent on trying to avoid Jet—with his eyes that lure him in far too deep. They beckon to him, searing a hot stare into his backside; his presence is making his thoughts all fuzzy, they set him in a trance.

"Yeah I guess…" Sokka responds with less than average enthusiasm.

"You guess?" the flirtatious warrior talks back, hoping for a more intriguing answer.

Silence is felt on the watertribesman's part of the loft, settling in awkward that radiates through the floorboards. Sudden footsteps sound on the creaky boards, heavy boots making their way towards Sokka. His heartbeat intensifies as a mental picture of Jet burns into his mind, making it hard to breathe.

Bending behind Sokka, Jet's groin is no more than a few inches away from his backside—making it hard for Sokka to keep his devious mind at bay.

"Sokka…" Jet whispers just loud enough for him to hear, but just low enough to send shivers down his spine, "why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you," he answers back still not turning to face Jet.

"Then why am I talking to your back?"

_Dammit. _

Jet's face turns into something menacing as his mouth produces a small smirk. Sokka's stare remains gazed at the ground, his mind racing as he curses himself off silently. Leaning forward the woodsman slowly wraps his arms around Sokka's waist, his fingers working their way towards his groin. Unable, or unwilling, to intervene—the watertribesman's face glows a vibrant shade of red as his throat swells double in size.

"Jet w-what are you doing, p-people might, see…I don't…" Sokka tries defending himself as the urge to touch the woodsman's sweet lips becomes increasingly strong.

"Don't what? Feel right?" Jet leans closer to Sokka, mixing his breath with the slow hoarse breathing of the latter. "I see the way you look at me, the way your mind screams out for me—there's no hiding it."

_Shit. _

Moving his head in the crevice of Sokka's shoulder, Jet's lips are closer to the watertribesman's skin than they've ever been—which is making Sokka go wild.

Trying everything in his power to escape the invisible grasp that Jet has over his body, he tries reasoning with he boy, "Jet…seriously, what if-f Katara comes back—I don't want her to see—"

"Sshh…" Jet's soft mouth spills out a command right in Sokka's ear making the member in his pants grow, letting curses flow out of his mouth at the same time.

Jet's right hand moves off Sokka's waist and grasp the bottom of the watertribesman's chin, controlling which way his face moves to. Pulling his chin back, his sweat soaked face follows, as his lips are air molecules away from Jet's. Feeling the urge to tackle the woodsman and start doing unmentionable things controls his every action, but Jet is force to make the move.

His lips make contact with Sokka's and something like ecstasy spills over every nerve ending on his skin—sending shockwaves of pleasure and goose bumps up and down his arms. Shifting his grasp from his chin to his cheek, Jet takes more dominant command over Sokka's body, pushing him closer to his also growing length.

"Jet…nhn—please s-s-stop," Sokka's words fall out with nothing to back them up, as obviously the pleasure-stricken teen's desire has wanted this for as long as they met.

The air around them heats up with intensity as not even the strongest of cool breezes can waft away the lust that seeps from both teens' pores. Tiny moans run free from Sokka's saliva soaked mouth, as his tongue can't keep to itself and starts exploring this new region known as Jet.

Suddenly the cloth that serves as a door slides to the right as the body of a young girl takes up the small frame, the body of Sokka's sister. Even the watertribesman, whose mind is farther in bliss than Jet's, can hear the gasp that leaves her mouth. Breaking the embrace before given a chance to make anything of it, Sokka's icy-blue eyes find themselves transfixed on the figure of Katara, whose mouth is shakily covering her mouth.

"Sokka?" is all she says before she runs out of the loft, leaving the two teens alone, sweaty, and at least one of them feeling guilty.

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A/N:**

I hope that was what you guys were hoping for! Leave your comments, and I'll get another chapter up as soon as I can.


	3. Betrayal

Rated: M

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

[Comments and reviews are highly appreciated].

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**Chapter 3: Betrayal**

_Katara…_

Jolting his legs alive with a sudden burst of life, Sokka's face recedes away from the scruffy-haired teenager. Moving backwards away from the teen's blushed face and against the back wall, a new emotion takes over his being. Guilt settles in his chest where lust once occupied, no more than a minute prior. The watertribesman's face is plastered with a heavy film of shame—a film only seeming heavier and heavier the more blinks he takes at Jet.

"What the hell Jet!" Sokka's lips explode in a frenzy of rage and blame.

With no more than a small smirk splashed on his face, the woodsman remains seated on the timber boards that line the floor of the treehouse. Arms crossed, his eyes stay transfixed in the young boy's direction.

"Jet!" the water tribe boy shakily yells again, this time with a definite increase in aggression, "what is wrong with you!"

Unfolding his arms accompanied with a short playful sigh, he ascends from his crossed-leg position towards Sokka.

"What's wrong with _me_?" he repeats the warrior's words for an ironic explanation, "you should be asking that same question to yourself."

Blown back by the tides of Jet's response and his own shifting currents of emotions, Sokka's head can't help but feel seasick. Emotions he once thought were safely bottled up behind mental walls now seem to be seeping out of the darkness—unexpectedly, without warning.

The cramped room the two teens are occupying now seems two sizes too small, and a silence spreads over the two like an unspoken plague.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the watertribesman's words spill out soaked with obvious denial.

Inching closer and closer towards the emotionally distraught warrior, Jet's eyes meet the latter's icy blue ones—sending messages subconsciously.

"It means…" Jet whispers, moving his mouth just above Sokka's ear—amplifying his every word, "you, are not who you think you are; your heart and mind are on two separate pages Sokka."

With a confused look and an equally puzzled stare, the watertribesman stares down Jet in hopes of decoding his last statement. A still breeze whips through the lone window sending dangling leaves twirling off their branches and into the dark abyss below.

"What are you—" the warrior tries to respond.

"I think you better go find your sister, she left in quite a rush." Jet says in a tone heavily mixed with condescending words and hidden meanings.

Taken aback by the lack of understanding on the woodsman's part, Sokka's legs kick to life once more and help elevate him on his feet. Mimicking the warrior's movement, Jet also ascends but turns towards the makeshift cloth doorway and heads out into the amber torchlight. Leaving Sokka alone with only his thoughts, thoughts of events transpired that eat away at his mind.

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_You, are not who you think you are…_

Shaking his throbbing head to combat the thoughts that bash against his skull, the flickering lantern lights mixed with the intermittent screams from children-esque voices make it hard to focus. The rope bridges that span the vast gaps of openness sway back and forth with each gust of autumn wind, making them deadly tests of dexterity for the emotional drunk.

Whipping his skull in each cardinal direction, his eyes try to make out any figure that has any resemblance to his friend, or his sister.

_Katara…_

Her name pops into his mind cramming any other thought out of the way; searing painful burns of sorrow and remorse deep into his frontal lobe. In the corners of his eyes, darting figures of children leap from rickety canopy to rickety tree house, vaulting over the darkness like daily routine. None of them resembles the Avatar.

Coming to a large structure in the middle of the community, loud voices radiate from the wooden walls—deafening laughter seeps out of the warped boards of timber. Pushing aside the cloth sheet that hangs in the doorway, candlelight invades Sokka's pupil as his eyes adjust to the sudden introduction of light. Sitting around a banquet table are children and young boys all chatting and chittering at once about the day events—comparing achievements and victories.

At the far end of the wooden table a young boy with loose fitting tangerine robes swirls air currents in his between his palms in a show of skill and imagery. Wind sails from out of the openness and swirls in a spinning ball of current which he sends gliding down the table into plates of food.

Looking up from his show, Aang spots Sokka wearily pacing through the hall.

"Sokka!" the young airbender yells at the top of his lungs, sending everyone's eyes floundering in every direction in search of the named figure.

Levitating from his cross-legged position, and spinning a loose air-filled sphere underneath him he jets down the table towards Sokka. Vaulting seconds before the table runs out, the Avatar takes a spot directly in front of the watertribesman's worried expression.

"Where've you been?" Aang asks as his joy-filled eyes meet his own, "where's Katara too?"

He forces himself back into reality, "uh…thought she was with you?"

"I haven't seen her, but I did see something else!" His words of excitement bounce of Sokka's chest and fall onto the floor. Aang reveals a bag of fluorescent little stones each glistening off each other. With a quick flick of his wrist he sends one sailing towards the floor in an explosion of spark and light.

"Neat huh?" he gives a toothy grin.

"Yeah uh-huh, it's great," Sokka rubs the back of his neck as his eyes yearn to be elsewhere—looking elsewhere.

Realizing his show of amusement doesn't faze his friend; he expels the air into openness and looks deeply at Sokka.

"Are you okay?" Aang meddles.

Thinking for a second before answering he looks left to see a girl wearing blue—more specifically—a girl known as his sister. A mixture of hope and fear intertwine on his face, a battle of wits has ensued.

"I'll…talk to you later Aang," Sokka motions with his hand towards the airbender's face, and the latter takes the hint to rejoin the rest of the kids.

Hightailing it towards the entrance he entered no more than five minutes ago, Sokka ventures back out into the forest air in search of his sister. Trying to convince his eyes to adapt more quickly to the lack of light ends in failure as his balance is thrown off and his heads fills with dizziness. Torchlight mixes with moonlight as the floorboards creek under the watertribesman's heavy fur boots.

Coming from a stray cabin on the far side of the platform a little boy emerges from behind the curtain, no older than eight years. His large helmet slips and slides on his head due to the sheer weight of it, covering his left eye in metal. With his right eye, he spots the disgruntled watertribesman and sluggish walks towards him.

"Hey…you're that funny looking guy from before, aren't you?" the little boy inquires while sniffling.

"Well aren't you the guy who was riding the zipline?" Sokka fires back almost in record time.

A short pauses emanates from the two, only quelled by the little boy's words.

"You saw that! Man that's awesome! You gotta try it sometime!" his face turns into something more sincere and childish as his eyes light up in adolescent glee.

Sokka's mouth forms a small grin, "you must be…Duke right?"

"Actually, it's 'The' Duke, Jet gave me that nickname when I ran into his gang," the small boy says while looking down at the floor.

Before Sokka has the chance to continue, The Duke interrupts him, "he said me you know, Jet, he rescued me,"

Guessing from the puzzled look on the watertribesman's face, the little boy takes the hint to explain his story in more depth.

"The Fire Nation raided my village…they weren't so mean at first…but then as the days went on they started rounding up person after person and taking them away," The Duke begins to say while periodically wiping his teary eyes, "before I knew it, my friends were gone, and the kids from my class were missing too. The one night I came home and my parents weren't there—I…"

Teardrops fall from both of the little boy's eyes as the sound of sobbing and heavy breathing echo into Sokka's ears. Every thought in his mind is compelling him to comfort The Duke, but for some reason—his legs refuse. Instead, all he can do is stand and listen to the little boy's story.

"I tried looking for them everywhere! I did, I swear, but everyone in my town said that Fire Nation soldiers came in the night and took them away…" pools of water start to form on the floorboards as more and more teardrops fall from The Duke's face, "I didn't know what else to do. So I ran away from my home and went into the woods, I didn't mind it at first but then I got really hungry."

The Duke pauses for a brief moment to take a short breath and wipe his runny nose.

"Then I bumped into Jet's gang, and I saw that they had all this good food—and I was so hungry…so I took some. He found me, and he took me in," he says hopefully, as if hinting to Jet's heroic personality, "he saved me Sokka."

With the last sentence of the little boy's story, Sokka's expression takes a turn around—and it shows. The Duke's face returns to its original goofy childish composure and his sniffles his nose for the last time.

"You really think Jet's a hero?" Sokka says as plainly as he can manage without hinting at his hidden hostility.

"I have to, he helped me when no one else would," he fixes his helmet and lifts his higher on his head only to have it fall back down within a few seconds.

The watertribesman's mind churns with several thoughts and ideas about what The Duke just said, with most of which being positive. "Speaking of help," Sokka starts off, "have you seen Jet—or my sister Katara—around anywhere?"

He scratches his left eyebrow before giving his answer, "yeah I did actually, she was hanging around the observation deck on the other side of the hideout."

_Katara_

With the sound of her name, and a brisk autumn breeze whipping through the trees, Sokka's mind make up the decision to find his sister and makes things right again.

"…but she did seem kind of upset when I saw her," The Duke says sympathetically, almost like a warning.

"I know…" the watertribesman says just low enough for The Duke not to hear, "thank anyways little guy." With that, Sokka lightly pats the little boy's helmet a couple times and turns around towards the south side of the hideout.

The moon hangs high in the sky, like a marble in a sea of blackness. Several clouds overlap the edges of the comic rock, but only take a smidgen of it's brightness away. Strong winds whip on the surface, pushing even the highest of the stray clouds away—revealing moonlight bright enough to make the sun envious. With each passing hut Sokka passes, the more children and teenagers he sees, hinting to the amount of damage the Fire Nation has caused to this little forest. Each sad face, each scarred childhood is another reminder of how much hatred the watertribesman has for the maniacal Fire Nation.

Making his way from the congested section of houses and storage rooms, he comes to a clearing spotted with a scarce amount of flickering torches. A tall tower stands on four equal stilts, high above the tallest trees, to ensure an unblocked view of the surrounding landscape.

"Wow…" Sokka's mouth opens almost by itself to express his amazement.

The top layers of leaves are painted with a shiny coat given by the full moon that lingers overhead, covering each in a unique shade. Sokka makes his way to the bottom rung of the ladder that leads to the top of the deck, trying his hardest to make his boots make the least amount of noise. Upon his success he listens closely for sister, or any sound of life, for that matter.

Upon close examination, the watertribesman hears the faint sobs of a young girl almost mixed in with the seductive, manipulative voice of an older boy.

_Jet_

"God dammit!" Sokka blurts out, but quickly covers his mouth in case any of the two heard his swear. Listening as best he can, the warrior tries to hear any piece of dialogue he can from the two.

From what little he could make out, he pieces together some phrase, "Sokka…fault…mistake…not my decision…I'm. Sorry."

_Jet, you bastard—you're convincing Katara this was all my fault!_

Overtaken with anger and frustration, Sokka throws caution to the autumn breeze and climbs up the ladder two rungs at a time. Stepping on the last rung and catapulting himself onto the wooden deck, his icy blue eyes make contact with the pair—lost in an embrace. The two are locked in a heated moment of lust, both unaware of the sudden entrance of the warrior.

Driven by impulse rather than logic, he clears his throat in an attempt to get at least one of their attention's. Katara breaks first followed by Jet, but only does glare down the warrior. Her eyes burn circles through Sokka's pupil, begging for vengeance and longing for closure. The next six words to escape her mouth forever leave an imprint in Sokka's mind.

"What the hell do you want?" is all she says before quickly looking back at Jet, whose face is plastered with pure cynical deviance.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm insanely sorry for the amount of time between this chapter and the last one-I've been insanely busy with school and other such business. Fan fiction had to take the backseat for a while, I'm deeply sorry guys! ;-;


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